MATT’S SONDER BROKEN ROAD NX1 REBA £1,899

Matt’s going old-school to save weight, with a rigid fork and cable discs

The Sonder’s diet starts next month. I’m looking to drop some serious weight and am eagerly awaiting some deliveries that’ll help her realise her potential as a svelte long-distance mile muncher.

While the entry-level SRAM Level brakes are decent enough, they weigh 430g per end (lever, calliper and hose). That’s not too bad for a hydraulic brake, but I’m hoping Rever’s cable-actuated MTN1s will offer similar stopping power, thanks to their dual-piston callipers, and save me over 200g per end, while also being easier to fit and maintain.

The biggest weight drop I’m planning is at the front end though. I’m hoping to shed a cool 1.1kg – more than my tent weighs! – by waving goodbye to suspension (I’ll be relying on the squish of my 3in tyres instead) and hello to an ultra-light Niner RDO carbon fork. The bottle cage mounts on the legs will also free up valuable frame space.

A previous upgrade that’s earning its keep is the Ritchey Bullmoose WCS one-piece carbon cockpit. As well as saving weight, its twin ‘stems’ make it easy to attach feed pouches and handlebar rolls for adventure rides, and mean you can mount lights and gadgets right in the centre of the bar, which helps keep the cockpit tidy. The nine-degree sweep is super-comfy and, although I generally prefer wider bars, the 730mm span isn’t giving me any cause for complaint. www.alpkit.com/sonder